The Houston Texans are gearing up for a Thursday night clash against the Buffalo Bills and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans knows the team will be ready on a short turnaround.
During his Monday press conference, Ryans provided updates on several key players in concussion protocol. "C.J. [Stroud] and Jalen [Pitre] are still in the concussion protocol," Ryans confirmed.
"When they're in their concussion protocol, there are steps they have to pass to be available," he explained. "So we'll see how it goes for them this week."
Facing a Championship-Caliber Opponent
Ryans showed considerable respect for Buffalo's program and QB Josh Allen. "The Bills are a really, really good team," he said. "Coach [Shaun] McDermott has done a great job. Since he's been there, they're always a contender."
Allen's dual-threat capabilities present particular challenges. "Josh can move around and make those plays. You have to cover him twice for sure with his scramble ability," Ryans noted.. "We have to do a much better job defensively of controlling that because we've let a few plays get out on us when we allowed the quarterback to scramble."
The Short Week Reality
When asked about preparing for Thursday night games, Ryans offered a straightforward philosophy: "Don't talk about how much of a short week it is. Like everybody goes in, yeah, it's a short week, I get it. Like, let's wrap it up and let's go. Like everybody has the same amount of time."
Offensive Growth
Despite challenges, Ryans praised the connection between his receivers and the recent offensive performances. He highlighted a crucial third-and-16 conversion that exemplified the team's mindset. "When we needed a spark, we needed to get going. We started to feed the ball to our best player, Nico [Collins], and he showed up and showed why he's one of the best receivers in the league."
The coach also commended TE Dalton Schultz's toughness: "Dalton continues to play really great football for us," acknowledging the tight end is battling injuries. "He continues to scrap, he continues to battle. It's important to him to go out and play his best for his teammates."
Defensive Excellence Continues
Will Anderson Jr.'s disruptive presence earned specific praise from Ryans. "He's doing a fantastic job of not only disrupting the quarterback, but being in position to get the quarterback down, to take the football, making game-changing plays," Ryans said. "That's who Will Anderson is, and we hope that streak continues."
Ryans also highlighted the consistency of DL Tommy Togiai, calling him "our most consistent player inside" who "does exactly what we're asking him to do."
Keys to Thursday's Game
Against a defense Ryans described as fast, physical and sound in assignments, the Texans know execution will be paramount. "We have to do a good job of trying to sustain drives as best we can," he said. "Winning on third down will be key for us."
As for the Bills' offensive threat, discipline will be essential. "Everybody just has to remain disciplined, like, especially as we're rushing our rush lanes," Ryans emphasized. "You just have to play with awareness for four quarters. You can never let up."
The Texans kick off against Buffalo on Thursday night in what promises to be a significant AFC matchup between two playoff-contending teams.
